Vacuum feed device for elevating liquid.



W IAY. VACUUM FEED DEVICE FOR ELEVATING LIQUID. APPLICATION rlLED ocr. 26.1914.

Patented June 4, 1918.

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APPLICATION FILED ocr. 26. 1914.

Patented June 4, 1918.

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peoicatlon oi' Letters Eatent.

rammen aan@ a, iene ,application flied ctober 38, 1914i. 'Serial No. Mateo.

To all fwhom it 'may concern:

Be it known that l, WEBB Jair, a citizen ofl the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Feed Devices for Elevatng Liquid, of which the following is a specifica-` tion, reference beinghad to the accompany- 4 ingdrawings, forming a, partthereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved device adapted for elevating liquid by means oifl a partial vacuum or suction, particularly designed and adapted for ,elevating the lliquid fuel lsupply for internal combustion engines,l from a lower main supply 'tank to' van u per receptacle fromwhich it may be supp iedby gravity y .to the carbureter, or for elevating a lubricatf ing'liquid from a main supply tank at'a low elevation to a point at a hlgher elevation from which it may be supplied tothe parts toA be lubricated. It consists of the elements,

y'being shown with suitable connections from the liquid` supplyand to the parts to be served and to the vacuum-producing device,

- neither the main liquidsupply nor the .part

l which constitute the distinguishing feature tobe .served nor the vacuum 'producing de vice being shown. l v

F ig. 2'is an axial' section of the dia phra'gni-operated valve and its connections of the deviceupon a larger scale than the v same is shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 1s a side elevation 'showing the liquid-elevating device connected to the manifold and ,carburete'r .of an internal combustion engine.

x rip'hery betweenthe disks, F and G, 'which form the outer walls ofthe twochamloers, A and. B, respectively,and being normally ada ted to bulge one way or the other out hezplane, of itssbound peripheryy 1.. i is,

.bound periphery.

al section of a G, and being elastic so that it tends to.

buckle and reverse its bul e suddenly upon having its center forced 'rom bulged position at one side, to the plane of its By reason of such elasticity and bulged form the diaphragm at that intermediate position,-that is, the'position at which its center is substantially in the plane of its bound periphery, is in what may be called unstable equilibrium between theopposing tendencies to bulge in the two opposite directions. The valve, D, is carried by the diaphragm, C,- by being mounted -ina small bracket, H, secured substantially at .the center of the diaphragm, having a bearing axial with respect to the diaphragm for the stem, d, of the valve, said stem extending through the bearing and being provided with` a check pin, d1, below the bearing, and at such distance from the valve head with respect to the length of the bearing that the va ve has a little play longitudinally of its stem in said bearing; This play is designed to be less ,than the range of buckling of the diaphragm from one of its bulged positions to the opposite bulged osition, and for the best operation of the evice, the range of free movement of the valveshould be slightly more than half of the buckling movement of the diaphragm-that is, should lbe a little more than the movement of the center of the diaphragm from its bulged-position in either direction to the point at which it will tend to buckle in the o posite direction. 'The pipe, E, is connecte `with the source of suction or means of producin partial vacuum'. 'When the device is applic to the purpose of elevating the liquid fuel of an internal comu bustionv engine from a lower tov a lhigher level, the pipe may be connected with the manifold of the engine for producing the desired suction; and in such case it is preferably provided vwith i a check. valve, E1, opening in the direction in which the suclll@ llS

opposite stroke. The chamber, B, at the o posite side of the diaphragm from' t e vacuum connection described has a liquid inlet connection provided through a pipe, K, and a liquid outlet connection throu h a lit-ting, L, formed u on the outer side o the disk, G. In the iquid inlet connection .there is provided a check valve M, opening the outlet connection, L, opens, and into which therefore liquid which may be admitted to the chamber, B, throu h the inlet pipe, K, may be discharged t rough the l outlet connection, L, past the check valve,

N. As a matter of compactness of construction, the inlet pipe, K, extends through the bottom wall of the rece tacle, P, in order to reach its connection with the disk, G, for inlet into the chamber, B. The receptacle, P, has an outlet connection, Q, at the lower ,y part by which the liquid entering said receptacle, P, past the check valve, N, may

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flow by avity, for instance to the carbureter, W en the device is employed to supply liquid fuel to the engine. And to permit such 4free flow by gravity, the receptacle, P, has at the upper part, an atmospheric in let connection, R, which may be connected with a filling funnel, W. A coiled spring, T, centered about the intruding end of the pipe, E, in the chamber,A, reacts between the wall, F, of said chamber and the diaphragm, C, with a tendency to buckle the diaphragm toward the opposite wall, G; and said spring is stiff enough to reverse the buckle or bulge of the diaphragm in the direction indicated when the pressure in the two chambers, A andB, is equal, but it is not stiff enough to prevent the diaphragm being bulged toward the chamber wall, F, by the lowest degree of suction operating through the pipe, E, at. which the device is designed to be operated. Through the wall, F, of the chamber, A, there is made a leakport, U, for admission of atmospheric pressure.' The capacity of this port is small relatively to the suction port controlled by the valve. D.

When the pipe E, is connected with a source of suction or means of producing partial vacuum, and the liquid inlet pipe, K, is connected with a source of the liquid to be elevated by the device, the partial vacuum operating through the pipe, E, upon the diaphragm, C, causes it to be buckled and bulged toward the chamber wall, F, and to seat the valve, D, upon the seat, e. The instant the valve is thus seated, however, and

maare@ the suction is cut of, atmospheric rassure admitted through the leak-port, equalizing the pressure in the two chambers, A andB, causes the spring T, to reverse the bulge of the diaphragm, and in the latter part of the reversing the movement, that is, in the movement after thel diaphragm at the center has been pushed past the planeof its bound periphery, the valve, D, is pulled olf its seat and the suction lagain admitted, but not so promptly as to prevent the iins'hing of the buckling movement .of the diaphragm by its own reaction, thus insuring the complete unseating of the valve, and admitting the suction with its full force,A thus preventing the arising of a condition of equilibrium between the suction, and the atmospheric pressure through the leak-port, U. The suction being now operative as at rst in the chamber, A, buckles the diaphragm in the opposite direction, seating the valve as before, whereupon the atmospheric pressure admitted through the leak-port, U, causes a repetition of the movement above described, re-opening the valve; and thus from the continuous suction, there will result a rapid vibration of the diaphragm, alternately seating and unseating the valve, D. This alternate vibration of the diaphragm operates with a pumping action to lift the liquid through the inlet pi e, K, and discharge it through the fitting, into the receptacle P,y from which, by reason of the free atmospheric communication at the upper part of said receptacle, the liquid is free to dow by gravity through the outlet, Q.

To prevent the receptacle, P, from being over-filled which might happen in case the drainage to the carburetor or for whatever service the device is employed is less than the pumping capacity of the device, the liquid supply pipe, K, has an opening, c, controlled by a valve, X, opening into the receptacle, P, and connected with a float, Y, which opens said check valve when the receptacle is filled above a pre-determined level at which the -saidiioat is positioned, said valve being held securely closed by its weight and the `weight of the operat- 115 ing connections including the float, so long as the liquid level does not rise to the Hoat. When .the valve X, is opened by the operation of the float, the pumping action of `,the diaphragm merely 'passes the liquid around and around in a circuit from the receptacle, P, through the pipe, K, into the chamber, B, back again gast the check valve,

N, into the receptacle,

1. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a partial vacuum chamber, a liquid chamber, 'and an elastic bulged diaom each other; a conduit leading into the liquid chamber; a receptacle with which said -iprhragm which partitions said chambers liquid chamber communicatesga check valve controlling said communication arranged for How of liquid into the receptacle and for seating by reverse flow, said receptacle hav-4 inga vent to theatmosphere; a valve carried by the diaphragm in the partial. vacuum chamber, said partial vacuum chamber having an outlet'port and a seat for the valve of the diaphragm, the partial vacuum chamat said port, the 'connection between`the valve and the diaphragm providing a lost motion of a range less than the buckling movement ber having a leak-port for atmospheric inlet smaller than the outlet port, and yielding ineans tending to buckle the diaphragm in the direction for unseating the valve.

2. A device for the purpose indicated comprising two chambers, a member mountv ed :for movement back and forth between .said chambers for alternately increasing and diminishing the capacity of each andv simultaneously diminishing and increasing the capacity of the other; a spring tending yieldingly to force and hold said member at one limit of its range of movement, said member being constructed and mounted for unstable .equilibrium at an intermediate point in said range; a suction passa e comtaneously ischarge and which are seated by reverse 3. A device for the purpose indicated, comprising two chambers, a member mounted for movement backand forth between said chambers for alternately inbreasing and diminishin the capacity of each and smiulminishing and increasing the capacity of the other; a spring tending yieldingly to force 'and hold said Amember at one ,limit of itsrange of movement, said member being constructed and mounted for unstable equilibrium at an intermediate point,

- in said range; a suction passage communieating with one of said chambers; a valve4 i which controls said. communication carried by said movable member and mounted therel'on vfor .free movement with respect to said movable member less than the ran e of movement of the latter, the otherp said chambers having an'inlet and a discharge connection and che'ck valves in said connec' im) tions which respective?v permit inlowand dischargeand are seate by reverse flow; and

"a receptacle into which'said discharge leads,

having atmospheric communication at the upper part and a discharge connection at the lower part i matics said communication carried by said movable member and mounted thereon for free move-` ment with respect to said movable member 4. Ldevice I for the purpose indicated, cmprising two chambers, a member mount.- y e i one of said chambers; a valve which controls less than the range of movement of the lati ter, the other of said chambers havin an inlet anda discharge connection, an check valves in said connections which respectively permit inflow and dischargekand are seated by reverse flow areceptacle into which said dischar leads, having atmospheric communication at the upper part and a dis charge connection at the lower part; the inlet pipe extending through said receptacle and having an o ening thereinto; a valve in the receptacle c osin said opening and a oat connected with tie valve for oing it when the liquid in said receptacle reaches a pre-determined level.

.5. A device for the purpose indicated comprising two chambers, a member mounted' for back-and-forth movement between said chambers for alternately increasing and diminishin the ca acity of each and simultaneously iminis ing and increasing the capacity of the other' means tending yield ingly to force and hold said member at one limit of its range of movement, said member being constructed and mounted for unstable equilibrium at an intermediate point in said range; a suction :u: communi- Veating with one of said c embers; a valve which controls said communication carried by said movable member and adapted to permit a limited movement of the diaphragm less than its full range of movement before closin and .also before opening the valve, the ot er of said chambers havin an inlet `and a vdischarge connection, -1 suitable means controlling them respectively.

6. In ccmbinatigll an -iiternal 'tclalombfustion engme,l an in e supp y i ere or, a carbureter connected to sad Pirtake supply piple, a fuel supply tank, anda pneuopera-ted pumping device having apumping chamber of variablesize and a separate motor chamber of variable size, the

variations in size' of. the pumping chamber be' dependent upon the variations in size of t e motor chamber, the motor chr of said pumping device being connected to the ahere and to said mt t; t supply pipesc as to be v in by the vacuum ice lill@ are! lithcarbureter so as to force fuel from the fuel A upon the exin of the diaphragm outward tank to the carbureter when varied in size by the action of said vacuum on said motor chamber.

7. A vacuum feed device comprising a chamber having a movable wall, and having an outlet for connection to a partial vacuum, said chamber havin an inlet leading from the atmosphere to said chamber, and a valve .which controls said outlet, and connection from said movable wall to said valve for closing it by the movement of said wall to ensmall the chamber, and opening it upon giovement of said wall to enlarge the cham- 8. A vacuum power device comprising a hollow casing, a flexible diaphra closing said casin to provide a clos chamber therein, said chamber` having an outlet for connection to a partial vacuum, and an inlet connectin said chamber with the atmosphere, a va ve controlling said outlet, a spring tending to move said diaphragm in the direction to enlarge said chamber, and connections between said diaphragm and said valve for closing it upon the flexing of the diaphragm inward, and foropening it relatively to suc chamber.

A 9. A vacuum power device comprising a hollow casing, a flexible diaphragm closing said casin to provide a closed chamber therein, said chamber having an outlet for connection to a partial vacuum, and an inlet for connection with the atmosphere, a valve controllin .said outlet, and connections between sai diaphragm and said valve for closing the valve upon the flexing of the diaphragm inward, and opening it u on the lexm of the diaphragm outward re atively tol suc member.

10. A vacuum power device comprisin a hollow casing, a iexible diaphra closing said casin to provide a close chamber therein, said chamber having an outlet for connection to a partial vacuum, and an inlet for connection with the atmosphere, and

, a valve controllinsaid outlet, a spring tending'to move said iaphragm in the direction to enlarge said chamber, connections between said diaphragm and said valve for closing the valve upon the flexing of the diaphragm inward, and opening it u on the flexing of the diaphragm outward relatively a cover for said diaphragm, said cover and diaphragm together ormlng a separate chamber partitioned h from the rst, and automatic valves opening mesmo into and away from said second chamber respectively.

l1. A vacuum power device compris' a hollow casing, a flexible diaphragm closing said casin to provide a closed chamber therein, said chamber having an outlet for connection to a partial vacuum and an inlet for connection with the atmosphere, and a valve controlling said outlet, connections between said diaphragm and said valve for closing the valve upon the fle of the diaphragm inward, and'opening 1t upon the flexing of the diaphragm outward relatively to Vsuch chamber, a cover for said diaphragm, said cover and diaphragm together forming a separate chamber partitioned from the rst, and a pair of automatic valves 4opening into and away from said second and as it ilexes to enlarge said chamber it opens said valve, a fuel supply tank, a connecton from said fuel supply tank to the second chamber, a valve in said connection opening toward said second chamber, aconnection from said second chamber to said carbureter, anda valve in said last named connection openin from said second chambertoward the car ureter.

13. In combination, an internal combustion engine, an intake supply pipe therefor, a carbureter connected to said intake supply pi e, a fuel supply tank, andV a pneumatica ly-operated pum ing device provided with a flexible partition forming a motor side and a pump side, and having its motor side connected to the atmosphere and to said intake supply rpipe soas to be actuated by the vacuum of said intake supply pipe, and having the intake and exhaust of its pump side connected to said fuel supply tank and said carbureter respectively.

In testimonwhereof ll have hereunto set.

iis 

